The US Vice President has claimed that the UK could become a security threat to America if “Islamist-aligned” politicians come to power. JD Vance’s comments come in the wake of the publication of the new US National Security Strategy, which warns of “civilisational erasure” in Europe.
The American politician has already ruffled feathers across the continent with his incendiary speech at this year’s Munich Security Conference. The Ohio senator lectured Europe’s leaders about the erosion of democracy and free speech in a fiery performance. He claimed to audible gasps from his audience that attacks on free speech were the biggest security threat to Europe and the world.
The Vice President then criticised specific instances of alleged censorship across Europe, including raids in Germany, arrests in the UK, and EU social media restrictions.
His speech was roundly condemned by many from Europe’s established political parties. Vance has shrugged off the political opprobrium and has once again gone on the attack.
In an interview with the British publication Unheard, the VP suggested the UK could fall into the hands of pro-Islamist politicians.
Such a scenario would pose a serious security threat to America, given the UK is a nuclear power, he claimed.
He noted that already “Islamists-aligned or Islamist-adjacent people” had been elected to public office.
These people were winning mayoral and municipal elections and it was not inconceivable they could also prevail in national ones, the VP said.
“But it’s not inconceivable to imagine a scenario where a person with Islamist-adjacent views could have very significant influence in a European nuclear power,” Mr Vance explained.
“In the next five years? No. But 15 years from now? Absolutely. And that is very much a very direct threat to the United States of America.”
Vance caused further outrage at the Munich Security Conference when he met with the leader of Germany’s far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), just weeks before federal elections.
He reportedly discussed with Alice Weidel the war in Ukraine, German domestic politics and the so-called Brandmauer, or “firewall against the right”.
